Remote controlled movable tail block



J. H. HAMPTON REMOTE CONTROLLED MOVABLE TAIL BLOCK Feb. 20, 1940.

3 Sheets-.Sheet 1 Filed lafch 2, 1938 Mmm/70H' Jain Aam/1107;

Feb. 2o, 1940. J H, HAMPTON 2,190,919,

REMOTE CONTROLLED'MOVABLE TAIL BLOCK I Filedlamh 2. 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Feb. 2 0, 1940 l UNITED STM-Esv REMOTE ooNTRoLLED MovABLE `TAIL y BLOCK I `John H. Hampton, Oaklyn, N. J., assignor to `Beaumont Birch` Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation `of Pennsylvania Application March 2, 193s, serial N6. 193,485

2 Claims.

My invention relates to material-handling systems of the drag scraper type. More specically, the object of my invention is to provide a movable tail block or pulley sheave which may be controlled from a remote point by theoperator of the scraper.

For example, my device consists of' a tail pulley block, a trolley on which said block is mounted for universal movement relative to said trolley, "a track adjacent at least one edge of the space on which the material is to be piled out and reclaimed and on` which said trolley is movable, an endless rope connected to said trolley, a mou Vtor, means driven` by said motor for actuating I-J said rope and said trolley in either direction, and means for controlling the operation of said motor from a remote point.`

For a further exposition of' my invention, reference may be had tothe annexed drawings and o specification, at the end thereof my invention will be speciiically pointed `out and claimed.

l In the drawings: I

1 is a diagrammatic and schematic plan of atypical installation. J Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the motor and counter-weights.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section showing one type of back-post. Fig. 4 is a view in vertical cross-section through the track and rope, `showing the trolley, tail block, and knuckle sheave in side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing my device as installed within a building or housing structure. '.15 In that embodiment of my device selected from among others for illustration in the drawings and description in the specication, my device is shown as consisting of a motor I, for example an electric motor, having means 2 for controlling the .To operation of the motor from a remoteposition.

These means are not shown or described in detail as they are well known and form `no part of my invention. Motor I has a brake 3 applied f thereto and interlocked with means 2 so that, l5 when means 2 is operated to stop motor I, brake 3 is applied. Means 4, such as a belt or chain drives a pulley or sprocket 5 of traction drums 6, around which an endless rope or cable 'I passes v a suiiicient number of times toinsure that the o drums 8 will operate the cable I in either direction.

To cable` 'I is attached a trolley generally indicated at 8 which will be described later in greater l detail,` `and which bears thereon a tail block gen- 55 erally indicated at 9 and also described laterin greaterdetail. Trolley 8 `is Imounted for movement on a path or track III shown as consisting. of an I-beam. Track Ill may have atleast a part thereof curved. To insure that cable 'I passes properly around the curve in track Ill, there are provided idler sheaves II, around which one length of the cable I passes, and knuckle sheaves I2, around which another length of the cable 'I passes. As willbe seen from Fig; 1, cable I is endless` in eiect, being driven by traction drums 8 and being connected to trolley 8 so as to drive it, but the same effect may be had by attaching the ends of the cable to the separate drums or in any other convenient manner. l

As seen inFigs. 1 and 4, when trolley 8 passes 15`l aroundthe curvein track i8, the point of attachment Il between cable 'I and trolley 8 moves away from the knuckle sheaves I2 and the cable l, in` stead of forming a diagonal as seen in Fig. l, forms two sides of a triangle having its point .2O` lying withinits center line of track I8. It is therefore necessary to provide proper tension in vcable I and, at thesame time, to vary the length of this cable so as to permit the trolley 8 to pass around the curve. This is done by means of the 25 I counter-weights shown in Figs, 1 and 2. These counter-weights are mounted closely adjacent traction drums 6` so as to provide proper tension in cable I on traction drums 8. The counterweights I3 are mounted in guides I I and sup- 30 ported by means of pulleyblock I beneath which passes cable 'I. On each side of pulley block I5, cable 'I passes over sheaves I6 which support cable 'I vertically.

In Figs. 3 and 4, track Ill is shown as consist- 35 `ing of an I-beam which may be mounted in an elevated position adjacent the pile of material to be stored by means of `a column I8. Column I8 is supported on a pedestal I9 of any suitable material and may have connected thereto a wire 40 cable anchored atits lend to a timber or other anchor 2I buried in a trench and covered with tamped earth 22.` l

Trolley 8 is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and carries thereon one or more supporting wheels or 45 rollers 23. Trolley 8 also carries ,guide wheels or rollers 24, which` resist the strain of the cable passing `around sheave 26 pivotally mounted in tail block 9. Tail block `9 may be mounted for pivotal movement about pivot 21 which, in turn, 50 is mounted for limited pivotal movement about pivot 28. Counter-weight 2S may be provided to balance the weight of the cable passing around sheave 26. BuiTer 30 limits the downward movement of sheave 26. `Pivot 3I permits swinging `55 movement of tail block and the attached parts about a vertical axis.

When trolley 8 passes one of the sheaves I2, cable 1 is lifted out of the groove oi the sheave. To insure that cable 1 is properly fed back into the groove of the knuckle sheave I2, the point of connection between cable 1 and trolley 8, which is indicated at I1, is elevated into a position opposite the groove in knucklev sheave I2, so that the reaches of cable 1 adjacent point I1, which sagy slightly in a vertical direction, contact with the; lower, sloping edge of sheave I2=andfarefed back H into the groove of sheave I2 as trolley 8 passes -sheave I2. As shown in Fig. 4, the ends 34 of cable 1 may be passed through holes adjacent point I1 of trolley 8 and clamped against trolley 3 by bolts 32 or other convenient means. This is, however, only one type of attachment between cable 1 and trolley 8. Any desired or convenient type may be used.

Fig. 5 shows tail block 9 carried b-y track I0 Which is supported on a support `H8 Within a housing or structure 33 so that the material to be stored is under shelter. The drag scraper equipmentconsists of `a scraper 40 connected to a cable 4I, which is operated by drums 42 of a Winding machine 43 of anywellfknown type.

Scraper 40 can be operated by machine 43 to stack out material from any desired point into the pile andto reclaim the material to any desired point such as in reclaiming' hopper 44. l

In the operation of my device,when it is desiredr tostack out or to reclaim material to any desired portion of the storage area, motor I is operated from the remote position at which controller 2 is located. This position `may also be the point of operation of machine 43. Operation of controller 2 causes motor I to operate cable 1 and to thereby draw trolley 8 along track I0 until tail block 9 is in the desired position. Controller 2 is then operated to shut off power to motor I, which also causes brake 3 to lock motor I and consequently cable 1, trolley 8, and tail block 9 in the desired position.

I do not intend to be limited save as the scope of the attached claims and of the prior art may require.

l. A trolley for a material-handling system, said trolley having a lever pivotally mounted thereon, a tail pulley-block mounted on said lever'for limited movement relative thereto, rollers supporting said trolley for movement along a track, second rollers bearing on said track opposite said block and arranged to transmit strain from said block to said track, and a counter- Weight `connected to said lever on the opposite side of said pivot from saidlolock so as to counterblalance the strain of a pulley on said block.

y2. A trolley for a material-handling system, said trolley having a lever pvotally mounted thereon, a tail pulley-block mounted on said lever for limited movement relative thereto, rollers supportingvsaid trolley` for movement along a track, second lrollers bearing on said track opposite said blockand arranged to transmit strain from said block to said track, and a yielding stop on said trolley andlocated confronting said lever on the opposite side of said pivot from said block so as to cushionv the fall of Said block against said trolley.

JOHN H. HAMPTON. 

